A broken line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front extending from a low pressure system over the eastern Great Lakes through the mid-Mississippi River Valley. 8 inches across these counties as southwesterly winds tapped into deep moisture across the Tennessee River Valley, riding in on a 20-25 mph low level jet.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.
A broken line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front extending from a low pressure system over the eastern Great Lakes through the mid-Mississippi River Valley. Leading up to the event, strong afternoon heating supported surface-based CAPE values rising into the 2,500 to 3,000 J/Kg range, while precipitable water values were observed climbing from 1.4 inches earlier in the day to around 1.8 inches across these counties as southwesterly winds tapped into deep moisture across the Tennessee River Valley, riding in on a 20-25 mph low level jet. In addition, Meso-Analysis per the Storm Prediction center also indicated wind flow within the lowest several thousand feet of the atmosphere shifting unidirectional from the west, which can contribute to training of thunderstorm cells over an area. Storms then trained across the northern half of Tazewell County from around 8 pm on the 12th through about 1 am on the 13th, producing rounds of heavy rainfall rates as high as 4 inches per hour. Two to locally six inches of rain fell across Tazewell County within 6 hours, with the heaviest amounts representing between a 500- and a 1,000-year rainfall event.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 5:09 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 609 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022 .SYNOPSIS... A frontal system will arrive late today spreading scattered showers and thunderstorms through tonight. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be possible each day Wednesday through the weekend. Temperatures will top out in the upper 70s and 80s each day, with a few 90s possible over the Piedmont. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 600 PM EDT Tuesday... Severe Thunderstorm Watch number 465 in effect until 10PM generally along and north of highway 460 corridor. Concern is for damaging wind gusts associated with line of thunderstorms. Some of the convective allowing models suggest outflow to make it all the way to the VA/NC border by midnight, but weakening with time per loss of daytime heating. Per the Storm Prediction Center, there is slight risk for severe storms across the northern half of our CWA tapering to a marginal risk across the south this evening. Broad midlevel trough over the Great Lakes, an embedded speed maximum will eject eastward/northeastward from the central Appalachians/lower Great Lakes to the Mid-Atlantic and New England this evening, as an associated surface cold front likewise moves eastward/southeastward from the OH Valley and central PA/NY. Destabilization will proceed from west-to-east in advance of the front in conjunction with low-level moisture advection and surface heating, and visible satellite imagery suggests that multiple cells/small clusters will progress east along and ahead of the cold front through the northern Mid-Atlantic this evening. MLCAPE of 1000-2000 J/kg and relatively long/straight hodographs with effective bulk shear of 35-50 kt is expected for the Mid- Atlantic, along with DCAPE near 1000 J/kg. The near- storm environment and expected convective mode will favor clusters and line segments, which would favor damaging winds as the primary threat. As daytime heating ceases, expect weakening of storms as they progress east of Blue Ridge although respectable outflow wind may kick out ahead of line and into southside VA before midnight demise. The front is expected to stall near the VA/NC border on Wednesday, and serve as a focal point for storm formation on Wednesday afternoon. Impacts will largely be restricted to areas south of US Highway 460 on Wednesday. Temperatures will moderate a few degrees with fropa, putting Wednesday highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s, with warmest temperatures in the Piedmont. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... As of 115 PM EDT Tuesday... Confidence is increasing for a drier Thursday, but a few showers and thunderstorms may return on Friday. A cold front will head offshore on Wednesday night, while high pressure builds over the Great Lakes. Drier air should reach the Appalachian Mountains by Thursday. The back end of the cold front should stall across the Southeast during Thursday and may keep some clouds over North Carolina although rain chances appear low. Temperatures will fall toward the mid 50s to the mid 60s by Friday morning. More moisture should build northward during Friday afternoon to produce a chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly along and east of the Blue Ridge. Quieter conditions are anticipated by Friday night. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 115 PM EDT Tuesday... Confidence is moderate for the potential of more showers and thunderstorms through the weekend and into early next week. High pressure should move away from the Northeast on Saturday, which will bring a southerly breeze to increase the heat and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico during the next few days. Meanwhile, a cold front will slowly track eastward across the Ohio River Valley during Sunday and Monday. It should eventually reach the Mid Atlantic by Tuesday. As a result, chances of showers and thunderstorms will exist each afternoon throughout the weekend and into early next week. Temperatures will stay near normal for this time of year. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 230 PM EDT Tuesday... VFR conditions abound currently, but that will not be the case for the second half of this TAF valid period. Late this afternoon, likely around 20-22Z, a broken line of showers and thunderstorms will approach from the northwest, first impacting BLF/LWB, and then spreading east over the next few hours into this evening. The convective line will likely break up near BCB/ROA, but a weak lingering shower tonight is not out of the question in the proximity of LYH/DAN. Prevailing winds will be westerly at 4-8 kts, but near the line of storms, wind gusts could be much stronger, and from any direction, depending on orientation to the storm. Vsbys could also be reduced within these storms due to heavy rainfall. Cloud cover will increase with the passage of the aforementioned front, though for most areas, cigs will remain above VFR level. BLF and LWB may experience some IFR/MVFR level cigs Wednesday morning, as well as lowered vsbys. These conditions will likely only last a few hours, as clouds will lift and any fog will clear once the sun begins to heat the surface. Forecast confidence is above average for vsbys, weather conditions and winds. Forecast confidence is moderate for cigs. Extended Aviation Discussion... The frontal system will linger just to our south for several days beginning Wednesday, triggering scattered -TSRA threatening KDAN mainly in the afternoons. The remainder of the area will see mainly VFR conditions. The exception will be areas of dense fog overnight in the usual locations such as mountain valleys and river valleys. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...SH/VFJ NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...PW LONG TERM...PW AVIATION...SH/VFJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 621 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022 VAZ010-011-013-014-017>020-022>024-033>035-045>047-WVZ042>044-507- 508-132230- Bland-Giles-Pulaski-Montgomery-Floyd-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke- Botetourt-Rockbridge-Franklin-Bedford-Amherst-Campbell-Appomattox- Buckingham-Mercer-Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier- Western Greenbrier- 621 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 465 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Thunderstorms this evening may produce damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009-012-015-016-032-043-044-058-059-132230- Ashe-Alleghany NC-Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Watauga-Wilkes- Yadkin-Tazewell-Smyth-Wythe-Grayson-Carroll-Patrick-Henry- Pittsylvania-Halifax-Charlotte- 621 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina, northwest North Carolina, south central Virginia and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible on Wednesday that could produce damaging winds and localized flooding due to heavy rain. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
755 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0753 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 NW BUCHANAN 37.53N 79.71W
07/12/2022 BOTETOURT VA LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWERLINES REPORTED DOWN.
&&
BUTTSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
826 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0805 PM TSTM WND GST 1 S BLUE RIDGE 37.37N 79.82W
07/12/2022 M60 MPH BOTETOURT VA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
835 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0829 PM HAIL 3 E THAXTON 37.35N 79.58W
07/12/2022 E0.50 INCH BEDFORD VA TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL UP TO HALF-INCH IN DIAMETER.
&&
DSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
839 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM HAIL 4 NNW ASBURY 37.87N 80.58W
07/12/2022 E1.00 INCH GREENBRIER WV PUBLIC
DAMAGE TO ROOF AND VEHICLES.
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
839 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022
VAZ007-010-WVZ042-130115-
Tazewell VA-Bland VA-Mercer WV-
839 PM EDT Tue Jul 12 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of eastern Tazewell,
western Bland and southwestern Mercer Counties through 915 PM EDT...
At 839 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Tiptop, or 7 miles northeast of Tazewell, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Bluefield...
Tazewell...
Ceres...
Burkes Garden...
Pocahontas...
Bramwell...
and Clear Fork.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for
southwestern Virginia...and southeastern West Virginia.
&&
LAT...LON 3720 8162 3721 8156 3724 8151 3726 8150
3725 8148 3727 8145 3727 8142 3731 8140
3732 8137 3741 8132 3734 8105 3701 8129
3696 8136 3714 8168
TIME...MOT...LOC 0039Z 280DEG 23KT 3722 8146
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
AMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
840 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0618 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 N ASBURY 37.86N 80.56W
07/12/2022 GREENBRIER WV PUBLIC
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR ALTA.
&&The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:41 UTC.
3 flash flood, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A personal weather station (Weather Underground: KVAJEWEL2) recorded a storm-total amount of 5.60 inches during a 4 hour and 20 minute period, with 5.08 inches observed falling in a 3-hour period. Either case represents between a 500- and 1,000-year rainfall event per NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency estimates.
Video captured by Tazewell County Emergency Management depicts numerous homes and public buildings flooded by anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet of water from Indian Creek as it flooded out of its banks within the community of Bandy. At least 14 residents in the area were evacuated to shelters, however no injuries were reported.
Big Creek was observed out of its banks, flowing across Big Creek Road. Significant debris removal was required after flooding subsided, by the road was then reopened.
The Cooperative Weather Observer at Burkes Garden, VA (BURV2) observed water flowing over creeks and bridges near their home in the community of Burkes Garden due to between 2.5 and 3.5 inches of rainfall. No damage was reported with this flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 2022
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1027805, 1048408, 1048318, 1041903.